Saturday's defeat against Newport County can only be described as one of Yeovil Town's textbook defeats. Earlier in the season, we'd seen two set pieces against Morecambe involving former player Michael Rose lose us two points in a 2-2 draw. Then on that following Saturday we'd seen us come up against Russell Slade who we knew from our time with us was particularly strong in organising his sides on set pieces - two more were conceded in a 2-1 defeat.

We then moved on to Newport County. With Ben Tozer's long throws and Matt Dolan's feet-based set pieces, the only question seemed to be which of the pair would damage us. The answer was Dolan - two corners, two headers, two goals. To add to the frustration, manager Darren Way repeatedly stated that 57 percent of Newport's goals have come from set pieces. That statistic has now been revised upwards, following those two corners.

You don't need to have been at Newport to judge those two goals. They are incredibly simple corners, that are well delivered, but overall required very little effort or ingenuity from the scorers to plant their heads on the ball. The second, from Joss Labadie barely requires him to leap for the ball. It was pretty much a training ground header - exactly what Way said his side had been working on all week.

That has inevitably been part of the post-match debate. With our defending having been so questionable this season, with us having a pattern of conceding from set pieces, and with us knowing up front that Newport were strong on set pieces, what is being done to address that situation? If you know something is going to happen, and you believe you have taken steps to prevent that from happening, but that event still happens, then how did that event still take place?

Approaching this in a logical way, there are two possibilities. Either the players that defend such set pieces are not good enough, or the management and coaching team that provide them with the information on the training ground are not giving them the coaching and instruction that they need in order to prevent, or at least minimise, such events. Darren suggested post-match that Newport were the best side he'd seen in the division at set pieces, but given that Grimsby and Morecambe had done the same to us, it would be wrong to just pass it off as a single-match event.

In his post-match interview, Darren contradicted himself across five minutes of BBC chat. I hadn't noticed the contradiction until on Sunday the club put up in headline form: "As always I accept responsibility" against Darren's name. It's true that he did say that in the interview, but the bit that had leapt out through my reading/typing of the interview had been "I just expected the players, with all the match preparation that we'd done, to be able to deal with it better" - a case of that 'responsibility' being accepted, but then later on thrown as directly as a Ben Tozer throw-in straight at his own players unconditionally.

Indeed, that was the overall theme of the interview. Splicing out the occasions (other than the above) where Darren directs criticism at his players, rather than himself, cut-out from the interview give you: "As far as our preparation is concerned that we did everything that we could to combat that. We have to make sure that we understand League Two football. One or two of the younger players have got to live up to that. I just expected a little bit more from the group. At the moment, I think they will be questioning themselves. There's certainly a naivety within the group. I said that I didn't want second best today. I don't want to keep making excuses for them. They've got to accept responsibility. These players have got to do their utmost on and off the pitch. There's players there that need help and they need experience. These players have got to learn fast. They have to live up to that expectation".

The broad impression you got was that the training ground preparation was good, but that either the effort or the application from the players was found lacking. Darren might say that he is 'accepting responsibility' but the detail behind the words suggests otherwise. When a manager 'accepts responsibility' for a defeat, I'd expect it to be from one of two angles - either an admission that tactics or decision-making failed on the day, or a recognition that there are specific tasks that need to be carried out on the training ground as a reaction to player-led errors. And of course there is the ultimate in taking 'responsibility' where if a manager (or director, or Chairman) feels they are holding back the direction of the club, then you fall on your sword.

Aside from the problem with set pieces, the other other area that should set alarm bells ringing was the gap between the two sides. This wasn't a case of two tightly-matched teams with one gaining the edge through their corner-taker. This was a case of one side being head and shoulders above the other. This was a Newport side who in May were one minute away from being relegated out of the Football League. Since his arrival in March 2017, manager Mike Flynn has transformed an Exiles side from being dead and buried into one that on the back of Saturday's result are now just outside the play-offs. Given Newport were second favourites amongst the bookies to get relegated, the concern must be that a side that should have been one of our peers, clearly have progressed over the last six months, whilst we haven't.

During September, we played teams that were all exclusively down near the bottom of the table - Crawley Town, Cheltenham Town, Morecambe, Grimsby Town, Port Vale, Chesterfield and Colchester United. We struggled against all of them except for the division's bottom side, but even that game at Chesterfield looked as though it was going in the other direction until James Bailey's surprise winner. Whilst you don't expect to win all of them, they were individually winnable games. If we stutter against clubs that are around us in the table, or are our natural peers, then you have to be concerned at the prospects when we hit November and December and are playing teams in 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th, 10th and 11th. By contrast, we will only face four clubs in the bottom half of League Two between now and Christmas, and have already played every club below us. So there is an obvious concern that during an 'easier' month, that we didn't accrue more points than we did that would cushion ourselves when coming up against tougher opposition.

Finally, we got to know a bit more about the situation regarding 'football advisor' Harry Redknapp. Although this has been bigged up on the club's side, it is telling that he was not offered up for interview at Thursday's weekly press conference, and that he was not present at the Newport County match. Looking around the internet, it seems a lot of supporters have got fixed in their heads that Redknapp is going to play a significant role in the football club, I suspect because of the way the club and local media have covered it. There is even the belief that Redknapp could become manager or even an owner in the future.

I have a feeling that we may find the situation has been over-hyped. For the reasons why, I'd recommend that fans read the Yeovil-relevant parts of a TalkSport interview Redknapp did last Thursday. In an eight minute interview he was largely talking about Tottenham Hotspur and England, but the Yeovil-specific content can be read here. Harry says "I wouldn't be making a commitment to it long-term ... if I can get to a game I will do". He makes a direct reference to former Spurs player Steve Perryman, who is Exeter's Director of Football, pointing out that he couldn't get involved in anything at that level.

To give an idea of Harry's recent movements since January 2016, he's been a Director at Wimborne Town, a football advisor at Derby County, the manager of the Jordan national side, a football consultant for Australian side Central Coast Mariners, the manager of Birmingham City, and now the football advisor role he has with Yeovil Town. Six positions in under two years, and apart from the Birmingham job that was straddled across the empty summer months, the longest he's stayed in any of those roles has been two months before turning up somewhere else. I suspect he is a semi-retired man, who has enough money in the bank not to need a job, but is pottering around picking and choosing things he fancies dabbling in. If he does turn up and provide some useful inputs, then great, but I think it would be severely over-cooking this to view it as some sort of a strategic move for the football club. Harry - in his own words - is popping up for a cup of tea.

With one of the best lower league headers of the ball, in his day, as our coach I am astounded that we keep falling for the same tactic of allowing 'free headers' in our penalty area from free kicks and corners. It is not just this season though as we have suffered regularly over the past 5 or 6 seasons. Surely all the defenders we have signed over this time cannot all fall in to the 'not good enough' category?

The gulf between the sides was enormous and it was only a matter of time before Newport scored the goals their overall dominance merited and indeed a 2 nil defeat flattered us greatly.Where do you start with this team? So much work to do and so little time to achieve it!
10/10/2017 18:01:58

Dusty said ...

Am a bit worried about all this responsibility DW is taking. He seems to crave it every week - is it some sort of new legal high or a make things right next week football tablet? If responsibility won matches we would be top of the league. DW and TS are clueless, of course the players are physically capable of defending set pieces. They aren't coached properly or sent out with the right mentality to play, enjoy it and do it well.
10/10/2017 18:36:11

Gill Green said ...

Set piece problems? Whatever the coaching just look at the keepers' positioning, Smith's reluctance to challenge and a general lack of organisation and leadership, these are player issues. A complete shambles but no doubt difficult to address because of budget restrictions, injuries, falling attendances, blah blah blah. As for Redknapp just a cheap (well it had to be) stunt to impress the gullible, an old man wanting something to do as and when it suits him, he should fit in fine.
10/10/2017 20:21:52

Will said ...

It was utterly dreadful. Never looked like creating anything. Powder puff midfield and leaky defence. For once the goalkeeper made a man of the match performance and prevented a rugby score. Completely dominated by a bang average League 2 side. The only way we stay up is if there are two teams who are somehow worse.
10/10/2017 20:32:26

Swaby said ...

It's an ongoing saga isn't it. We've now got so many problematic plates spinning I don't think Darren knows where to begin - and his lack of experience is really telling now and the players are also really letting him down with their lack of effort and simple concentration based mistakes. That comes down to a lack of desire to win and any athlete without a desire to win shouldn't be paid to perform, let alone at this level. Teams made of players with that desire can win against the odds whatever heir ability - but certainly against teams in the same division; we aren't playing cup games at old Trafford every week.

The set piece issue is such a glaring weakness week on week. If we don't concede, we look extremely vulnerable and that pressure all mounts up. If Darren is focusing all his energy on getting that right, it's an embarrassment. He talks about knowing league two football - who knows it better than DW and TS? Yet they still can't coach a team to be hard to beat. That should have been done in pre-season with minor changes made to reflect the opposing threats.

I credit the inclusion of Harry but I don't think he will commit enough time to turn out season around - and with all due respect, his recent record doesn't scream out that he's the man to turn around a desperately lost club. I'm a big fan of Harry but fans would be delusional to think he will change what's happening at the club. Advice is only as good as the person taking it on board - will he board listen to him? Absolutely not. Will Darren? Yes, but I strongly doubt he can translate those ideas to such an average (at best) group of players. Our best hope is that Harry speaks out and helps draw in a few bigger crowds and that brings some sort of energy out of the team because I've spent my life a positive fan, but this is a collapse, and the worst part is the acceptance of it as if we are going back to where we belong.
10/10/2017 22:27:01

andrew strickland said ...

Tragic to see at a distance the ceaseless, and worsening, seemingly limitless John Fry led self destruction of YTFC.

DW's excuse making reminds me of Terry after we lost to Fleetwood in the cup that time.

Harry sadly is nothing more than a cheap trick, probably/certainly free, by the board to try to get money from the local fans by hoping to boost the utterly unsustainable collapsed home attendances.
Rather like Botham a few years back at the real HP

I do not know how much longer it will take for the single person with the legal duty to care and the stewardship of out once great little club, to see the light and take his rooted to the core mismanagement style with him.

On that day I will return to every possible local game, as for two years or more the Fry YTFC has not been worth my hard earned cash. But I guess as a exile/pseudo-northerner I cannot claim to be a John Fry true fan....
11/10/2017 07:21:38

Essex Glover said ...

Agree with all comments.Nothing will change until
decks swept completely clear.I loved the good old non-league days when we were often top of the pile but do we REALLY want to go back there?Crying shame what is happening to our great club.
11/10/2017 10:09:18

Terry Stevens said ...

For the first time ever in 60 years of watching the Glovers I left a game early in proceedings...after 50 minutes at Newport. Why? Everything I witnessed shouted loudly about a team that shows little passion, very little energy, scant desire to tackle, one dimensional approach to going forward, talented players frustrated, too many players who are unable to cope the physical demands of League Two football, little organisation on and off the field...oh, dear where to start? Radical change is needed.
11/10/2017 10:24:59

Andrew Kindness said ...

I really think it is time for strategic re-think on the back four and also our complete lack of midfield activity. Nathan Smith is probably the best left back in League 2 and we continue to play him at centre back. We have 3-4 centre backs on the books, why not play them? In centre midfield we have a plethora of defensively minded, sideways passing players that create nothing. Alefe Santos will not give us defensive cover but might well create something. Give it a try as the blood is leaking out from the players, supporters and club at an alarming rate at present.
11/10/2017 10:39:00

Vince said ...

The only way forward is to join the Glovers Trust.They will approach the club asking searching questions that need answering. Staying away each week simply does nothing! It does actually, its means the football becomes more dire each season, the fans continue moaning, and back to square one continues!Trusts have been successful for other clubs so why not at Yeovil? Come on lets get things done and properly.
11/10/2017 10:53:38

Will P said ...

Saturday was a turning point for me. Our club is being catastrophically mismanaged at every level, from the boardroom to the dugout and everywhere in between. It is so sad to see. Regrettably I just can't see anything improving until Fry, Hayward and all their myriad of underperforming employees are forced out of the club. I truly fear and in fact actively suspect we will be stuck back in the lower echelons of non league football before this occurs.
11/10/2017 19:12:57

TERRY said ...

I THINK OUR PROBLEMS STARTED WHEN JOHN FRY SACKED GARY JOHNSON, I KNOW WE WERE BOTTOM OF LEAGUE ONE AT THE TIME, BUT HAVE WE IMPROVED SINCE, NOT ONE BIT, GARY HAD THAT EXPERIANCE TO CHANGE THINGS
11/10/2017 20:02:53

Essex Glover said ...

Just read the latest rubbish in Somerset Live. So it goes on and on and on and.......

12/10/2017 15:58:16

Essex Glover said ...

Love Andy Cleaves's twitter on Somerset Live after the sensational victory over the mighty
Crewe Alexander!!!

15/10/2017 13:14:45

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